Projector, fastening assembly thereof and fastening method thereof

ABSTRACT

A projector, a fastening assembly thereof and a fastening method are provided. The fastening assembly can accommodate the portable projector and fasten it onto a tripod or a pan-tilt to perform projection. The fastening assembly has specific open regions that allow a user to access function keys of the projector and allow I/O ports of the projector to be connected with external devices.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field

The present invention relates to a projector, a fastening assembly thereof and a fastening method thereof. More particularly, the present invention relates to a portable projector and its fastening assembly as well as its fastening method.

2. Description of Related Art

Over the past ten-odd years, may significant improvements related to image projecting apparatuses have been made by virtue of the progress of semiconductor process and the development in the latest technologies. Especially, the breakthrough is presented in the dimensions, image quality and image signal processing thereof. The image projectors implementing three-beam CRT scanning technology were produced early on and had advantages of high definition, excellent color saturation and high contrast originated from CRT imaging technology. However, since the conventional CRT requires an electronic gun, which has a significant volume, to excite fluorescent materials, the early projector is consequently bulky and merely adaptive to be used in commodious space where a fixed site for installing such projector is provided, such as a conference hall or a cinema.

Later, after LCD technology was introduced ten-odd years ago, with the vigorous development thereof, a projecting method basing on LCD technology has been put into application. Since an LCD projection panel used in an LCD projector can be microminiaturized through a semiconductor process technology, and a light source thereof is generally realized by super-high pressure mercury lamps or gas discharge lamps instead of the bulky electronic gun used in the early projector to excite fluorescent materials, the modern LCD projector is ridden of the limitation in volume which the CRT projector is innately subject to. Therefore, the size of LCD projectors gets smaller and smaller while the image quality thereof stands comparison with that of the CRT projectors. Consequently, the traditional bulky CRT projectors tend to be replaced by the LCD projectors gradually.

In recent years, a novel DLP (Digital Light Processing) technology has been developed and applied to projectors. The DLP technology developed by Texas Instruments is a digital image technology, which realizes a new projection system that generates images by one or more special DMD (Digital Micromirror Display) chips. Such technology implements MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical System) process to form the chips with numerous microminiature reflectors, which reflect incident light beams to generate images. DLP technology can not only refine the projected images, but also efficiently reduce the volume and weight of a projector to make it light, slim, and small. In addition to the DLP and LCD technologies that have been introduced, LEDs are extensively employed as a light source in modern projectors instead of bulbs that are apt to give out heat. As LEDs have the benefits of small size, coolness, and high light efficiency, the modern projectors can be ridden of the limitation in volume which the projectors using bulbs are innately subject to, so as to further progress in reducing the volume thereof.

Presently, projectors have entered an era where the portability thereof is dominant. Many up-to-date projectors are merely as large as a palm so as to facilitate users' carrying the same. Furthermore, some leading manufacturers in the industry are paying efforts to develop miniaturized projectors that allow hand-held electronic devices, such as mobile phones, PDA and watches to perform projecting functions. Thus, it is expectable that more and more portable projectors will be applied in our daily life.

As mentioned previously, while the traditional projectors are bulky and unfavorable for portability, the same are typically settled on tables or mounted on hanging brackets to perform projection. While there are more and more portable projectors (such as mini projectors, hand-held projectors, miniature projectors, etc.) available on the market, with the mobile convenience of such portable projectors, general users rather freely apply their projectors in personal offices, coffee shops, outdoor speech occasions, small rooms or open fields where fixed installing sites for the traditional projectors may be unavailable than limit the applications in large indoor rooms.

For using projectors in places without preset installing sites and support structures, it is needed to provide a specific fastening and supporting device for a portable projector to be mounted thereon. Hence, the present invention provides a fastening assembly for a portable projector to allow the portable projector to perform projection in a space without a supporting assembly and a hanging bracket.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a fastening assembly for a portable projector to be combined with the projector for fixing the same. The portable projector can be coupled with a common pan-tilt or tripod via the fastening assembly so that the projector can be operated in a space or place without a supporting assembly and a hanging bracket.

The disclosed fastening assembly has a chamber for accommodating a portable projector. The chamber has an opening formed at a front end thereof for loading or unloading the portable projector therethrough. A tenon is provided adjacent to the opening for being engaged with a recess formed at a front end of a bottom of the projector loaded in the fastening assembly so as to retain the projector in the chamber. A specific open region is formed at a top of the chamber so that function keys provided on the projector can be accessed by a user after the projector is loaded in the fastening assembly. Another open region is formed at a rear side of the chamber so that various I/O (Input/Output) ports, such as power supply, signal input, USB ports, etc. can be exposed and be connected with relevant external devices. A rectangular block is raised from a center of a bottom of the fastening assembly and a threaded hole is formed in the block for allowing the entire fastening assembly to be screwed to a supporting assembly.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a threaded hole may be provided at a center of a bottom of the projector so that the same can be directly screwed to the supporting assembly without the fastening assembly positioned intermediately.

One advantage of the present invention is to provide a fastening assembly for receiving a portable projector fixed therein.

Another advantage of the present invention is to provide a fastening assembly that can be coupled with other conventional portable supporting assemblies (e.g. tripods) or functional modules (e.g. camera pan-tilts) so as to allow a portable projector settled therein to be adjusted for desired projection directions and angles in a space where a supporting assembly and a hanging bracket are not available.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention as well as a preferred mode of use, further objectives and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing showing a portable projector and a fastening assembly thereof according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an oblique bottom view of the fastening assembly thereof according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a tripod for being coupled with the fastening assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a pan-tilt for being coupled with the fastening assembly according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a schematic drawing showing the projector, the fastening assembly, the pan-tilt and the tripod combined according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the fastening assembly thereof according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a schematic drawing showing the projector, the fastening assembly, the pan-tilt and the tripod combined according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the fastening assembly thereof according to another embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 9 is a schematic drawing showing the projector and the fastening assembly combined according to another embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Please refer to FIG. 1 for a schematic drawing showing a portable projector and a fastening assembly thereof according to one embodiment of the present invention. Therein, the fastening assembly 2 for the portable projector is substantially a housing with a chamber 3 formed therein. The chamber 3 is such configured that dimensions thereof can fittingly receive the portable projector 1. An opening 4 is formed at a front end of the fastening assembly 2 and such configured that dimensions thereof can just allow the portable projector 1 to enter the chamber 3 therethrough, as indicated by the white arrow in the drawing. After entering the chamber 3, a lens 10 of the portable projector 1 is exposed. A tenon 5 is provided at an inner bottom surface of the chamber 3 adjacent to the opening 4. Thereby, when the portable projector 1 is completely loaded in the chamber 3, the tenon 5 can be engaged with a recess (not shown) formed at a bottom of the portable projector 1 so as to retain the portable projector 1 in the fastening assembly 2. According to FIG. 1, an open region 7 is formed at a top 6 of the fastening assembly 2 and such configured that function keys 9 (e.g. power, zoom-in, zoom-out, screen shift, etc.) provided on the projector 1 can be accessed by a user after the portable projector 1 is completely fixed in the fastening assembly 2. Another open region 8 is formed at a rear side of the fastening assembly 2 and such configured that various I/O ports (e.g. power supply, signal input, USB ports, etc.) can be exposed at the open region 8 to be connected with cables or relevant external devices.

In FIG. 2, an oblique bottom view of the fastening assembly 2 thereof according to one embodiment of the present invention is provided. Therein, a block 12 is raised from a center of a bottom 11 of the fastening assembly 2 and extending outward. The block 12 has an end formed as a square plane 13 and a threaded hole 14 is formed at a center of the plane 13 and extending into the block 12. The threaded hole 14 is configured as a UNC ¼-20 threaded hole, that share the same specification with a threaded hole formed at a bottom of a common camera, so that the fastening assembly 2 can be combined to a tripod or a pan-tilt for common cameras through the threaded hole 14.

FIG. 3 illustrates a tripod 15 for supporting the fastening assembly 2 of the projector 1. As shown in the drawing, the tripod 15 comprises a platform 16 for providing a fixing site for the portable projector 1. Three legs 17 are attached to a periphery of the platform 16 so as to form a supporting assembly. The platform 16 comprises a screw 18 extended outward from a center of the platform 16. The screw 18 is a UNC ¼-20 screw and is fixed at the platform 16. Therefore, while the screw 18 is screwed to the threaded hole 14 in FIG. 2, the fastening assembly 2 can be fastened to the platform 16.

FIG. 4 provides a pan-tilt 19 for supporting the fastening assembly according to another embodiment of the present invention. As shown, a screw 20 is extended upward from a center of a top of the pan-tilt 19. The screw 20 is a UNC ¼-20 screw and is fixed at the pan-tilt 19. Therefore, while the screw 20 is screwed to the threaded hole 14 in FIG. 2, the fastening assembly 2 can be fastened to the pan-tilt 19. The pan-tilt 19 further comprises a horizontal rotational mechanism 21 and a vertical rotational mechanism 22, which can rotate along directions indicated by the black arrows in the drawing, respectively. A handle 23 is equipped at a side of a housing of the pan-tilt 19, so that a user can hold the handle 23 to draw and rotate the rotational mechanisms 21 and 22 in order to orientate the projector 1 combined with the pan-tilt 19 in all directions. Moreover, a latch 24 is provided on the pan-tilt 19 to retain the current orientation. A UNC ¼-20 threaded hole (not shown) is provided at a center of a bottom of the pan-tilt 19, whereby the pan-tilt 19 can be fastened to the platform 16 of the tripod 15 as shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a schematic drawing showing the projector 1, the fastening assembly 2, the pan-tilt 19 and the tripod 15 combined according to one embodiment of the present invention. In the drawing, the pan-tilt 19 is firstly combined with the tripod 15 positioned therebelow. Then the fastening assembly 2 is mounted and fastened onto the pan-tilt 19. After the fastening assembly 2 is attached to the supporting assembly, the projector 1 can be loaded and retained in the chamber of the fastening assembly 2. Afterward, a user can rotate or tilt the pan-tilt 19 or extend or shrink the tripod 15 to set a projection orientation of the portable projector 1. Alternatively, the projector may be directly screwed to the tripod 15 without the pan-tilt 19 positioned intermediately.

Another embodiment of the present invention is depicted in FIG. 6. A projector 25 having a projection element (not shown) for projecting an image outward is characterized by having a fastening assembly that helps to fasten the projector 25 onto a supporting assembly. Therein, the fastening assembly is settled at a bottom of the projector 25 for facilitating connecting the supporting assembly. The fastening assembly may have a threaded hole that matches a thread of the supporting assembly. In one embodiment of the present invention, the supporting assembly may be one or both of a pan-tilt and a tripod. For example, a threaded hole 26 is provided at a center of the bottom of the projector 25, which is a UNC ¼-20 threaded hole 26 and shares the same specification with threaded holes formed at bottoms of common cameras, through the threaded hole 26, the portable projector 25 can be fastened to a common camera supporting assembly, such as the tripod 15 in FIG. 3 and the pan-tilt 19 in FIG. 4. FIG. 7 illustrates the combined projector, tripod and pan-tilt.

Now please refer to FIG. 8 for another embodiment of the disclosed fastening assembly for the projector. As shown, the fastening assembly comprises a base 27 and a plurality of claw-shaped movable members 28 connected to the base 27 by means of spring-equipped pivots 29. A retaining piece 30 is formed at an end of each said claw-shaped movable member 28 for pressing against an upper surface of a projector to provide a clamping force. The claw-shaped movable members 28 and the base 27 can jointly define an accommodating space for accommodating the projector. The spring-equipped pivots 29 provide the claw-shaped movable members 28 with the clamping force so as to retain and positioned the projector. A combining portion (not shown) is provided at a bottom of the fastening assembly, which resembles the block in FIG. 2. A threaded hole is provided at a center of the combining portion and extended into the combining portion. The threaded hole is a UNC ¼-20 threaded hole, which shares the same specification with threaded holes formed at bottoms of common cameras. Therefore, by means of the threaded hole, the fastening assembly for a projector can be combined with a pan-tilt or a tripod for common cameras. FIG. 9 depicts the projector retained in the fastening assembly.

Although the particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, it will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that numerous variations will be possible to the disclosed embodiments without going outside the scope of the invention as disclosed in the claims and the equivalents. 

1. A projector, having a projection element for projecting an image outward and characterized by having a fastening assembly that helps to fasten the projector onto a supporting assembly, wherein, the fastening assembly is provided at a bottom of the projector for facilitating connecting the supporting assembly.
 2. The projector of claim 1, wherein the fastening assembly comprises a threaded hole that matches a thread of the supporting assembly.
 3. The projector of claim 1, wherein the supporting assembly is a pan-tilt or a tripod.
 4. A fastening assembly of a projector, comprising: a combining portion, which helps to fasten the fastening assembly onto a supporting assembly; and a clamping portion, which is connected to the combining portion and defines an accommodating space together with the combining portion for accommodating the projector so that the clamping portion can clamp the projector.
 5. The fastening assembly of claim 4, wherein the clamping portion is formed as a housing, which includes the accommodating space for accommodating the projector, and an opening is formed at a front end of the housing for allowing the projector to pass therethrough.
 6. The fastening assembly of claim 5, further comprising a tenon provided adjacent to the opening for retaining the projector.
 7. The fastening assembly of claim 4, wherein the clamping portion has an open region for allowing a function key area and an I/O (Input/Output) port area on the projector to be exposed therethrough, respectively.
 8. The fastening assembly of claim 4, wherein the combining portion is provided at a block formed at a center of a bottom of the housing, and a threaded hole is provided in the block for allowing the fastening assembly to be fastened to the supporting assembly.
 9. The fastening assembly of claim 4, wherein the clamping portion is a claw-shaped movable member, which defines the accommodating space for accommodating the projector and has a retaining piece for fixing the claw-shaped movable member to clamp the projector.
 10. The fastening assembly of claim 9, wherein the combining portion is provided at a center of a bottom of the fastening assembly for connecting the claw-shaped movable member, and a threaded hole is provided on the combining portion for allowing the fastening assembly to be fastened to the supporting assembly.
 11. The fastening assembly of claim 4, wherein the supporting assembly is a pan-tilt or a tripod.
 12. A fastening method of a projector, comprising following steps: providing an accommodating housing for accommodating the projector so that the projector can be retained in the accommodating housing, wherein a threaded hole is provided at a center of a bottom of the housing; and providing a supporting assembly, which has a screw at a center of a top thereof so that the accommodating housing can be fastened to the supporting assembly by the screw.
 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the supporting assembly is a pan-tilt or a tripod. 